Camp at Cowin Station, Tenn.

July 24^th 1863.

 

Dear Friends.

                        Still in camp & nothing to do & as I have got one sheet of paper left I thought that I would write you a few lines. the RailRoad is finished through to this place & have been 5 miles beyond Stevenson at the junction of the M. & C.R.R. with the Nashvill & Chattanooga RR. we have pleanty of rations now of the kind. the veriaty is small "Hard Tack" & coffee, half rations of sugar. we have had no salt meat untill yesterday when we got whole rations. that is all of of the eatables we have we get a little soap & a few candles so you can judge what we live on. when we are in camp & transportation is easy & the officers get all they want, then we come next in line of getting / these extras such as "potatoes, onions, beans" &c. beans we usually have all we want.

 

We are haveing splendid weather now. Yesterday I had some green corn. I got a little where I was on picket. our picket lines is right along the foot of the mountain & it made one think of old times when we were here a year ago. yesterday just before we came in a little boy with to ladies came up to the reserve & both of them I noticed looked at me as if they had seen me before. prety soon one of them asked me if I had not been up on the mountain a year ago. I told them I had & then she told the other lady "she knew so" well I could not think what they meant so I asked them "why" & then one of them asked me if my name was not "Ike" & one of the boys standing by me said it was just to see what they would say & then they asked me how I got along &c &c &c. to save me I can not / remember of haveing seen them before. if I have they have got a better memory than I have. any way it is all right & I could not help laughing to hear them talk. the best of the joke was to have them call me "Ike" & tell about things he did, which if I did, have passed out of my recollection. they wanted me to call if I ever had a chance to go that way. you need not doubt but what I shall except of the invitation if I ever do have the chance.

 

            Mr Johnson has not got around yet. if he dont come in a day or two I will get a hat to the Sutlers. he has got some very good ones for 5 dollars. I will either have to do that or draw a new cap & a cap I dont want this hot weather I went out after some black berries the other day & comeing in the sun was so hot that it would seem if my head would burst & it made me as sick to my stommic I could hardly / stand. our hottest weather is comeing on now & I must have the hat or get a cap. as I said before a detail was just made out of our company of two men to go back to Decherd. it is thought after our knapsacks. I hope so & if mine comes up, I will write again & not wait so long. things have been so aranged that we can get a mail every day the last letter that I received from home was written on the 4. I am looking for one every day. I suppose Fannie has gone east before this time. I would have answered her last if I could have got a chance. I received it while we were on a march & besides that paper, envelops, & stamps could not be got very easily & the first I did get I wrote to you on. when we came here I got 5 sheets but then it did me no good so I wrote a letter to Cousin Sarah & one to you. I hope you will get that 45 dollars that I sent to you "via A.E. Bates". I got a map of the battle field which is very correct & by carefully looking it over you can understand in what positions we were in & what time but I must close. Give my best respects to all who may enquire. love for all at home write soon & dont forget the extra sheet of paper & stamp so I can answer.

 

Write one & all                                              

 

Yours &c        Frank

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